Here’s what this lawsuit means for you, and when you may be able to expect a refund.
Ski Lifts in the snow covered back bowls of Vail Ski Resort under a clear blue sky in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (Photo: Getty Images)
Published March 25, 2026 05:07PM
It’s no surprise to skiers that megapass companies like Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company (which owns Ikon) have a large monopoly in the ski industry, especially when it comes to bigger destination resorts. It’s also not groundbreaking information that, for skiers looking to ski more than a handful of days, the megapasses seem to save you money.
What is less clear to skiers, however, is whether or not the value of the megapass is artificial.
On March 24, 2026, four skiers filed an Antitrust federal class action lawsuit against Vail Resorts and Alterra, alleging the two parties “unlawfully inflated prices and suppressed competition through anticompetitive bundling practices tied to their multi‑mountain season passes,” and therefore created an “industry-wide scheme” to drive up the cost of skiing in North America. Combined, Vail and Alterra own 60 domestic ski areas.
Also Read: Bought a Ski Pass and Didn’t Use It? Here’s What You Can (and Can’t) Get Back.
Essentially, the chief complaint is that Vail and Alterra are increasing single-day lift ticket prices with the intention that skiers will be deterred from purchasing a single day and instead opt for a multi-day or season-long Epic or Ikon Pass. This, the law firm believes, plays into an anti-competitive practice that they deem to be illegal.
“For years, skiers have been told that soaring lift-ticket prices, reduced choice, and overcrowding are simply the new reality,” said Greg Asciolla, a chair of the law firm’s Antitrust and Competition Litigation Practice, via a statement. “Our complaint alleges that these outcomes are not the result of healthy competition, but of exclusionary conduct by two companies that dominate access to the most desirable destinations.”
So what does this mean for skiers on the Epic or Ikon Pass?
Right now, this is just a class action lawsuit, meaning Vail Resorts and Alterra are being sued. Vail and Alterra have at least 30 days to answer the suit. One attorney SKI spoke with compared the lawsuit to a bowling ball at the top of the mountain, noting that at this stage, anything could happen. The case could be dismissed, it could change form, and it could go on for years.
As of now, the ball is in the hands of Vail and Alterra, who will need to respond. One thing is for certain: The case is likely to go on for years before anything is settled. If there is cash to be returned for Epic and Ikon passholders, it won’t be divvied out anytime soon.
